Box making apparatus



Feb. 15, 1938. c. G. HAYES BOX MAKING APPARATUS Filed June 23, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet l Feb. 15, 1938.

c. G. HAYES 2,108,334

Box MAKING-APPARATUS Filed June 29, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 15, c HA S BOX MAKING ARPARATUS Filed June 29, 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 C. G. HAYES BOX MAKING APPARATUS Feb. 15, 1938.

4 Sheets$heet 4 Filed June 29, 1956 WWW Chet/Zea G. Ha yes y Patented Feb. 15;1938

PATENT OFFICE 2.108.334 BOX MAKING APPARATUS Charles G. Hayes, La Grange, 11]., assignor to Chicago Carton Company, Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois Application June 29, 1936, Serial No. 87,853

This invention relates to-an improvement in apparatus for the construction of paper board boxes or trays embodying bottom and side wall portions.

Paper boxes or trays of the referred to are ordinarily formed from a blank in which certain slde-wall-forming portions are provided with tabs or flaps which are secured by adhesive or otherwise to certain otherwall-forming portions to thereby form, in effect, continuous side wall portions extending upwardly from 'a bottomforming portion.

The main objects of this invention are to provide apparatus for making boxes or trays such 5 as described whereby the wall-forming portions of the tray may be connected to each other through the agency of tabs or flaps such as re ferred to, by automatic mechanism which will operate at high speed on the blanks from which the trays are formed; to provide such apparatus v which will operate efliciently, quietly and rapidly;

. so as to be capable of producing the trays in large numbers much faster than has heretofore been practicable; to provide apparatus for the purpose indicated which will be simple in construction and durable in operation and which may be adjusted to facilitate operation of the mechanism upon tray-forming blanks of 'various sizes and patterns.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood by reference to the following specification and accompanying drawings (4 sheets), whein there is illustrated the improved apparatus. .35. In the drawings:

' Fig; 1' is a perspective showing a tray embodying the improved construction.

Fig. 2,is a perspective showing the tray in its 0 'collapsed'or flattened condition. 4

I forming the tray. i v

' Fig. 41s a section on the line 4-4 of'Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan corresponding to 1-55 ti correspondin to F gs. 5 and 6. but

Fig. 31s a plan view illustrating mechanism for a 3 Claims. (Cl. 93-52) showing; apparatus modified to produce the modi- ,fled tray constructions shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

Referring now to the drawings, the "improved tray construction herein referred. to is formed from a paper board blankindicatedat 20 in Fig. 5, the said blank comprising a bottom-forming portion 2|, front and rear side wall-forming portions 22' and 23, opposite end wall-forming portions 24 and 25, and flaps such as 26 extending endwise from the opposite ends of the front and rear side wall flaps 22 and 23. As indicated in Fig. l, the flaps or tongues 26, 26 are folded to substantially'right angles to the respective side walls from which they project and their outer surfaces are adheslvely secured to the inner surfaces -of-the respective end wall portions 24 and 25. f

"Score lines such as indicated at'2'l, or other forms of-weakened fold lines, are provided for facilitatingbending of the wall-forming portions to right angles relative to the bottom portion, and the flaps to right angles relative to the wall portions from which they extend.

In the construction illustrated, the front and rear wall-forming portions 22 and 23 are additionally provided withweakened fold lines indicated at 28, 28. These fold lines extend transthe respective ang'ularly disposed fold lines. By 4 thus permitting portions. of the front and rear walls to be folded upon themselves, the end .walls 24 and 25 may, after being secured to the flaps 26, 26, also be folded into flat conditionsubstantially parallel with the bottom portion of the tray. As lndicatedin Fig. 2, when the end walls are folded to flattened condition, the front and .rear side walls 22 and 23 are;disposed in their fiat co-planar position relative to the bottom wall. When the tray is in the condition illustrated in Fig. 2, large numbers of them may be stagked one upon 'the 'other for Handling, storage and shipping purposes. When in this condition, a large number of the trays occupy a considerably smaller space-than the-same number of' trays would occupy were they -set up in their operative condition asshowninFlg.1. I When the described construction is employed,

of a tray in .the condition illustrated in Fig. 2

are folded upwardly, the end walls will automatically unfold due to the link-like connection between the side and end walls eifected by the triangular side wall portions outwardly of the angularly disposed fold lines 21.

Apparatus for setting up the tray includes a receptacle designated 36 which receives a stack,

of the tray blanks 20 (see Figs. 3 and 4). Mechanism well known in the art and not herein illustrated in detail is provided for feeding the blanks one by one from the bottom of the receptacle, such mechanism in this instance being typified by the conveyor belts indicated at 3| and feed. rolls 32 whichrare suitably driven. The blank feeding mechanism delivers the blanks one byv *one to conveyor belts 33 which are suitably driven by'means of rollers 34 and 35 around whidh such belts pass. A slack take-up device comprising a pair ofrollers indicated at 36 serves to maintain the upper reach of the belts 33 taut. Supporting rollers such as indicated-at 31 may be provided beneath the entire length of the upper reaches of the belts 33 between the rollers 34 and 35, if desired, to more eflectively prevent sagging of the upper reaches of the belts.

An upper belt as cooperates with the middle 7 one of the lower belts 33, of which in this instance there are three. The said belt 33 passes around pulleys 33 and by means of which such upper belt is driven in properly synchronized relation with the drive of the belts 3 A takeup device comprising rollers 4| is pro ded in the upper reach of the belt 38 for facilitating 'maintenance of the lower reach thereof in suitably taut condition. Guide rollers indicated at 42 may also be provided for acting on the lower i reach of the upper belt to hold such lower reach in proper cooperative relation to the underlying lower belt.

The belts 33 and 3B are driven at a high rate of speed and accordingly serve. to carry the tray blanks through the mechanism with great rapidity. It has been known in the art to effect folding of flaps by means of guide rods or the like which act against a. flap and turn the same more or .less rearwardly or inwardly; and this operation has been efliciently performed when the blanks are carried at high speed by the conveyor belts. According to the present invention,

flaps are folded not only rearwardly' and inwardly by means of guide rods as an incident to the forward movement of'the blanks, but also, forwardly, i.. e., in the same direction as the direction of travel of the blanks, by guide rod means.

The structure herein disclosed for folding the flaps comprises a pair of guide rods 43, 43,.respectively on opposite sides of the path of travel of the blanks. 'Said guide rods 43, 43 are arranged in vertically and horizontally inclined relation to the path of travel of the blanks, the front end portions of the rods being located below the plane of travel of the 'blanks. The blanks travel in the direction indicated by the arrow 45 in Figs; 5 and 6, and it will be seen, from an inspection of Fig. 5 that the front ends of said guiderods are arranged to engage the under sides of the outer extremities of the flaps 26, 26. As the blanks progress, the flaps 26, 26 ride upwardly on the guide rods 43, 43, the bending on the angular fold lines 26, 26.

The flaps-26 bend on the diagonal fold lines 28 instead of on the adjacent fold lines 21, Possibly because of the greater lever-arm length of the flaps from the point of application of the bending force to the diagonal fold lines and possibly because there is a more eflicient relationship between the actuating rods and said diagonal foldlines; Also, if it is desired to more definitely insure bending of the flaps on said diagonal lines,

the latter may be made somewhat weaker than the other fold lines For example, portions of the fold lines 28 may be slitted partially or wholly through the blank, other portions being conventional creases. In the drawings, the diagonal fold lines 28 are shown as being formed partially of creases and partially of slitswhich may be cut partially or completely through the blank, the slit portions being indicated by the heavier portions of the fold line.

The upward folding movement of the flaps continues because of the upwardly and inwardly inclined position of the guide'rods until the flaps assume an approximately perpendicular position relative to the remainder of the blank. So far 'as the-flaps 26, 26 which extend from-the foremost sides of the blank are concerned, their folding may be eifected by a simple continuation of the inward inclination of the rods 43, since such a continuation would serve as an obstruction under which the leading flaps 26, 26 would pass by folding rearwardly. However, in respect of the flaps 26 which project from the rearmost portions of the blanks, it will be observed that a; different problem arises to effect forward folding of the flaps from their perpendicular position while also continuing the forward travel of they blanks.

In this instance, such forward folding of the rearmost flaps is effected by means of supplementary guide rods designated 45, 45 on opposite sides of the path of travel of the blanks. Saidguide rods 45 are disposed in approximately parallel relation to the plane of travel of the blanks and they are arranged in inwardly inclined relation so that. they will apply inwardly directed force to the flaps which they engage.

As best shownin Fig. 5, the forward or receiving end portions 46 of the guide rods 45 underlie the delivery end portions 41 of the guide rods 43. Hence it will be apparent that the receiving end portions 46 of the guide rods 46 will be operative to engage the edge portions of the flaps to thereby apply said inwardly directed force thereto. As an incident to such inwardly directed force, the rearmost flaps 26 will be caused to continue their folding'movement in a forwar d direction as an incident to the forward movement of. thev tray blanks. As indicated in Fig. 5,

continuations of each other and the end wall portions 24 and 25 remain in their initially flat, unfolded condition.

Special guide rods or bars such as indicated at 48, 48 are preferably provided for overlying 65 when both flaps 26 are folded they form, in eflect the end wall portions 24 and 25 to maintain the same in 'said normally fiat, unfolded condition V during the folding of the flaps 26.

ixMeans for applying glue or other adhesive to at 49, 49 (Figs. 3- and 4), from which adhesivetransferring rollers 50 pick up a coating of glue, transfer it to glue-applying wheels 5| which are carried by the shaft of the pulleys 40. The. glue-applying wheels 5|, 5| are located in proper.

position to roll over the projecting end wallformirm portions 24 and 25 of the blanks and thereby apply a coating of adhesive to such end wall portions.

Short upper conveyor belts 52, 52 overlie the folded .fiaps of the blanks after the same have passed the gluing rolls 5|, 5|, and serve to hold said flaps in their folded condition after they pass .beyond the delivery ends 53 of the guide rods 45, 45. After leaving the glue-applying rolls, the box blanks are propelled mainly by that portion of the upper belt 38 which is disposed between the pulley 40 and the glue-applying mechanism and an extension or continuation designated 54 of the middle lower belt. The middle lower belt extends around a pulley 55 and is guided adjacent the glue mechanism by a pulley in axial alignment with the pulleys 35 around which the outside belts 33 pass. I

For folding over the end-wall-forming portions 24 and 25 of the blanks, there are provided twisted belt arrangements including belts 5G, 56, which are caused to twist or turn in the desired manner by properly positioning guide rollers 51, 5! around which the belts pass. Such twisted belts cooperate with. underlying belts 58, 58 which are guided by suitably. arranged pulleys as indicated. Such twisted belt folding devices are well known in the art and therefore need not be described inhesive applied to the inside surfaces of the endwall-forming portions, the same will be adhesive- 1y secured to the folded flaps and will thus serve to connect the same and to maintain them permanently in proper box or tray-forming relation. Arrangements for drying the adhesive before releasing the work from the belts 55. and 58 may conveniently be provided in accordance with wellknown practice. The finished trays in their collapsed or flattened form as shown in Fig. 2 are delivered by the belts 58, 58 to any suitable stacking mechanism or other receiving means.

In some instances it is desirable to modify the shape of the blank from which the carton is made, I

at least partly for purposes of securing economy in 'the amount of material required. instances, the blank may be shaped as shown at the right hand end of Fig. 15, where the blank in its entirety is designated 20. In this form, the flaps 25 located at the front edge of the blank, are somewhat longer than the corresponding-dimension of the end-wall-forming parts 24- and 25 of the blank, and the flaps 26 at the rear edge are somewhat shorter than said end ,wall portions. I

When the carton is formed in this manner, the folding mechanism'is arranged to engage the outer marginal end portions of the front edge flaps 26 beyond the ends of the end-wall-formingportions 24 and 25. As shown in Fig. 15, folding or guide bars designated 80 are arranged to initially effect the upward folding movement of the flaps 25*. The guide members 50 serve In such mainly'to raise the flaps 26* above the plane of the end-.wall-forming portions 24 and 25", so that guide members 5| having their receivingend '82 turned upwardly may engage the upper surfaces of the end-walL-receiving portions without first engaging the flaps 26". The members 5| serve to bend the end-wall-forming portions 24" and 25 downwardly as indicated in Fig. 16. Guide members 63 having receiving ends 64 bent downwardly are then operative to engage the rearward flaps 26 and to effect upward and inward folding movement of the flaps as an incident to the travel. of the blanks. It is, of course, understood that the-blanks are propelled and supported by any suitable means, for example,

such as above explained and. illustrated in Figs.

3 and 4. The guide rods 63 are disposed, excepting their receiving end portion 64, in substantially parallel relation to the plane of travel of the blanks, but they are disposed angularly in wardly thereof so that they are operative to .not only receive the upturned leading flap portions 26 from the guide rods 50 and to fold the same inwardly and downwardly, but also to effect inward and downward folding of the rearward flaps 26 substantially in the same manner as explained above in connection with Figs. 3 to 6 inclusive. The further operations on the blank after the flaps are folded may be the same as those described in connection with the set-up of the blank form shown in Fig. 5.

Various guide rods herein referred to may be mounted for adjustment as to height and angle by any suitable means. In this instance the guide rods are shown as beirg provided. with laterally extending legs which are designed to fit through apertured brackets having set screws or like means for engaging the legs to hold them in selected position. Such mounting arrangements are well known to those skilled in the art, where-'- fore detailed illustration and explanation thereof are not considered necessary herein.

The described method of folding, especially the rearwardly located flaps, as an incident to the forward movement of the blanks, is of itself quite simple. It is also quite durable, being free from complexities and is such that the folding operation may be effected with great speed. Also, it will be observed that there is no separately operating mechanism which requires difllcult timing with other mechanism. From these onsiderations'it will be seen that the arrangement of the prior practical manner of setting up trays of the'kind described have been wholly overcome by the method and apparatus described.

Changes in the described construction maybe made without departing from the spirit of the invention, the scope of which should be determined by reference to the following claims, the. same being'construed as broadly as possible consistent with the state of the art.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for setting up trays of the :class described, comprising means for propelling a blank inan edgewisedirection, stationary guide means for engaging a portipn of said blank to effect folding of such. portion rearwardly of the blank as an incident to the travel thereof, stationary guide means for engaging another portion of the. blank and operative as an incident to' the travel thereof to effect folding of such portion, upwardly and inwardly in the direction of travel of the blank and downwardly into overlying relation to a portion thereof.

2. Apparatus for folding a flap which extends sidewise from the rearward portion of a box having a bottom portion, pairsof end and side wall portions, and flaps extending from the ends of one pairof said wall portions, comprising means for propelling the blank in an edgewise direction with the'flaps projecting sidewise therefrom, upwardly and inwardly inclined guide rod means for engaging the under sides of said flaps for folding same upwardly to an approximately vertically disposed position relative to the plane of travel of the blank, inwardly inclined guide rod means disposed substantially parallel with the plane of travelof the blank for engaging the flaps when in said approximately perpendicular position, said last mentioned guide rods serving to fold the flaps inwardly and downwardly, means for applying adhesive to the upper surfaces of the pair of wall portions which extend lengthwise of the direction of travel of the blank, and means for effecting folding of said last mentioned wall portions upwardly, inwardly and downwardly to efiect contacting of the adhesive-coated surfaces thereof with the uppermost surfaces of the folded flaps.

CHARLES G. HAYES. 

